Merlin Attractions, owners of Alton Towers, have been fined £5 million following a lengthy sentencing.
The sentencing trial itself began on 26 September 2016 and concluded on the following morning, where the judge presiding over the case stated there were several failures on the part of the theme park operator.
The fine, which follows the newly in force sentencing guidelines, is in addition to costs to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for approximately £70,000.
The judge stated that Merlin was still a prosperous company despite falls financially following the 2015 crash which left five severely injured. Two young women were left requiring amputation of a leg, whilst two young men and another female passenger were left with broken bones and internal injuries.
The case has attracted much publicity, not least because of the graphic injuries caused by the incident, which saw a manual override allow a carriage carrying passengers enter a section of track where a stationary cart sat. The crash was described as having kinetic energy equal to that of a family car in a collision at 90 mph. Despite the manual override, the judge stated the crash was not the outcome of human error, but a "catalogue of errors", including a lack of training for engineers and breaching the ride's guidelines which stated the ride should not be operated in winds exceeding 34mph.
The incident, which occurred in June 2015, saw the park closed for three days, and the theme park attracted controversy when it announced the ride would be reopened last March.
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